Repeating torpedo-cane.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

I No. 840,425.

J. H. BVBVINGTON. REPEATING TORPEDO CANE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1903.

0., WASHINCTUN, n. c.

JAMES H. BEVINGTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CRESCENT APPLIANCE 00., OF

OF NEW JERSEY.

BEREA, OHIO, A CORPORATION REPEATING TORPEDO-CANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed August 1, 1903. Serial No. 167,850

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BEVINGTQN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Torpedo- Oanes; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a repeating torpedo-cane; and the invention consists in the construction of cane substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of one form of my improved cane; and Fig: 2 is a longitudinal 2o sectional elevation thereof on a line corresponding to as w, Figs. 3 and 4, and enlarged as compared with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plain elevation of the cane with the torpedo-magazine at the front, and Fig. 4 is a plan view 2 5 looking down on Fig. 3 from line y y thereon. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modification of the invention. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the device for releasing the torpedoes shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A represents a cane or staif, preferably of wood for lightness and convenience in handling, but which may be of metal and tubular, if preferred, and H is a metallic head in which the cane or cane-handle is shown as socketed.

3 5 The said head has an internal explosionchamber 0 and which has a fiat or equivalently-shaped upper surface 2, serving as an anvil, so-called, orstriking-surface for plunger B.- The said plunger has the usual 0 stem extending down beneath head II and a confining and striking head 3 of its own in chamber 0 also, as is now common in torpedo-canes.

Explosion-chamber c has an exhaust or discharge 4 at one side, as shown in this instance, and a receiving inlet. or mouth 6 on the opposite side; but I may make said head with a single opening for both receiving the torpedo and discharging the explosion. The

mouth 6 is also shown as standing out and flaring sufficiently to intercept the torpedo as it drops from the magazine-chute and di-' rect it into the explosion-chamber, even if the cane be more or less inclined at the time.

The torpedoes are adapted to be automatically released or dropped from their magazine or chamber O with each downward stroke of the cane and consequent explosion of a torpedo, and which makes room for another torpedo when the plunger B drops down, and so on successively until an entire charge of torpedoes is exhausted.

The magazine or chamber C may be more or less formed or developed in the cane itself or an added part. In .this instance it is shown as added against a flattened surface 8 of the cane and is formed of sheet metal struck up with achannel lengthwise corresponding substantially to the size of a torpedoand fastened along its edge to handle A by means of short tacks or pins 7 or otherwise.

The torpedoes provided for herein are preferably of disk shape, rather than spherical, and are introduced to the magazine through an opening 9 in its to Suitable trip or refeasing mechanism for the torpedo is provided, and this may be largely varied in construction and operation and serve my purpose, so that I do not regard myself as limited to the particular mechanism shown. However, as shown herein, I employ a combined stop and releaser S, referred to also as a trigger and preferably made of a piece of fiat metal pivoted at 10 and having two separated fingers 11 and 12 bent back beneath itself and reaching a short distance into the magazine for the torpedoes and serving alternately as means to stopping and releasing the torpedoes. The opposite end of trigger S is directly or indirectly engaged by a retracting-spring 14, which may be of rubber, wire, or their equivalent; but rubber is preferred, because it is easily replaced, and which holds trigger S normally closed under the pile of torpedoes, as herein shown. A wire or connection R unites plunger B operatively with the trigger S and actuates the, trigger each time said plunger is struck to produce an explosion. This downward stroke of the cane and upward stroke of the plunger throws the upper or stop finger 11 outward from under the pile of torpedoes and the longer lower finger inward, and the net effect of this is to feed the lowest torpedo down upon lower finger 12 and suspend the others temporarily, the said lower finger being longer than the upper one, as shown. Then as the cane is raised and plunger B drops both by gravity and the action of spring 14 trigger S is instantly reversed, and its shorter finger 11 gets back under the pile of torpedoes and holds them up While longer finger 12 moves out from beneath the torpedo it held in check, and said torpedo instantly drops into the explosionchamber.

It will be noticed as a material feature in this cane that there is a comparatively deep open space between extremity 15 of the chute of the magazine below trigger S and the mouth 6 of head H, which receives the torpedo, and it is also seen that said chuteis more or .less open its full length at its front. This wholly overcomes the danger of ignition of the torpedoes in the magazine by possible back-firing through mouth or receiving opening 6 when an explosion occurs, even if this be the only opening in the head H, and must serve also for its discharge. Obviously this is a danger to be carefully guarded against, and I have wholly overcome the danger by keeping the magazine of torpedoes removed a distance from the explosion-chamber, and in any event having a wide space open to the outer air and outside the explosion-chamber between said chamber and the nearest torpedo. Hence any discharge into space after this manner comes as a mere pufi', which instantly dies, and danger is avoided. If there were any tendency for the explosion to work upward, it would be dissipated in the open chute beneath trigger S; but I do not find any real danger in this direction.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the invention, wherein the trigger S is manipulated through a rod V, extending from the trigger to the top of the cane and having a hoop or loop 18 or some equivalent construction for raising said rod and actuating the trigger whenever a torpedo is to be released.

Another feature of my invention is the position-determining handle 20 for using the cane and which is shown as projecting in a plane parallel to o ening 6 for receiving the torpedo to the exp osion-chambcr. Then as the said handle is carried in the right hand with the stem extending back toward the wrist in a natural way the exhaust or outlet 4 is thrown outward away from the person, and the danger of discharging against ones leg is averted. I may make the canes rights and lefts in this particular, if desired.

The chute portion of magazine C is that portion below trigger or releasing device S and in a full-sized cane is removed at least six inches above the mouth 6. Any suitable chute or conduit for the torpedoes from this point downward may be used.

What I claim is 1. A repeating torpedo-cane provided with a magazine for torpedoes, and a head on said cane having an explosion-chamber, itself having a firing-anvil, and the opening to said chamber to introduce the torpedoes being on the outside of the head and separated from the chute of the magazine by an outer open air-space, thereby preventing possible ignition of the torpedoes in the magazine, and a plunger working in the head and adapted to admit the explosives into the head when it recedes from the firing-anvil.

2. A repeating torpedo-cane having a head with an explosion-chamber and a receiving opening thereto on its outside and exposed to the outer air, and a magazine for torpedoes open at its bottom to the outer air and spaced apart from said receiving-opening, and release mechanism for the torpedoes, substantially as described.

3. A repeating torpedo-cane having a magazine for torpedoes, and a pivoted releasing device having a pair of fingers reaching into said magazine on difierent planes one above the other, substantially as described.

4. Arepeating torpedo-cane having amagazine on its outside and an explosion-chamber with a mouth to receive torpedoes directly beneath said magazine and separated therefrom by an air-space outside of the cane, a releasing device for the torpedoes, and means to actuate the same, and means to restore said device to closing position, substantially as described.

5. A torpedo-cane having a head with an explosion-chamber and a mouth open thereto on the outside of the head, a magazine having its outlet on the outside of the cane and wholly separated from said head and with an open outer air-space between the same and the said mouth, in combination with a releasing device adapted to intercept the tor edoes and release one at 'a time, said device ocated at the upper end of the chute portion of said magazine, substantially as described.

6. A repeating torpedo-cane com rising a magazine for torpedoes, and a hea having an explosion-chamber containing a firing place or anvil and having an entrance-opening located on the outside of the chamber and into which the torpedoes are introduced, and separated from the chute or lower end of said magazine by an outer open space, thereby preventing possible ignition of the tor edoes in the magazine, and a firing plug or p unger admitting an explosive into the explosion-' chamber when it moves from the firing place or anvil.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. BEVINGTON.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, R. ZBORNIK. 

